Hecate's Orphanage

by BlackRoseRaven

My Father's Blood, My Mother's Rage

Chapter Sixty Five: My Father's Blood, My Mother's Rage
~BlackRoseRaven

Antares whistled loudly as he walked down the street with Prestige Luster at his side, the stallion looking back and forth in awe at the majesty of Imperia. Sure, a lot of the city had been badly damaged in the attack, but this civilian sector had been spared a lot of the worst damages thanks to the energy shields, even if a lot of Loki's forces had still gotten through.

Prestige sighed a little as Antares stopped to lean curiously towards a set of Worker Drones and Dogmatists, before he waved wildly as one of the latter looked up, staring at him with its emotionless glass eyes. But she couldn't help but smile a little when the machine pony slowly rose a hoof for a moment in return. “Ha! Look!”

“Yes, hero, I see.” Prestige said mildly, as Antares grinned proudly and slammed a hoof against his own chest. Then she sighed and shook her head, saying softly: “You know, even Sleipnir seemed... a lot more serious after what happened.”

“Because of family.” Antares replied with a small smile and a shrug, turning towards Prestige before he rose his head and declared: “And that's why it's my responsibility to continue to be an asshole and keep everyone relaxed.”

“That's a great way to...” Prestige broke off as she leaned up on her hooves a little, curiously looking down the street, and Antares followed her gaze before he grinned widely, prancing forwards as the Valkyrie sighed and grumbled: “Behave.”

“Hell no.” Antares said immediately, before he almost leapt into the path of Thesis, who was walking with an ivory mare. Antares only took one look at the two of them before he grinned widely and leaned forwards, waggling his eyebrows as he asked cheerfully: “Who's your marefriend, Thesis?”

“What, worried I'm not available anymore?” Thesis asked mildly in spite of the faint blush that lit up his cheeks, as he flexed one foreleg absently. Antares cleared his throat loudly as he blushed a bit himself, then he laughed awkwardly as Prestige gave him an odd look and the strange pony he was walking with only rolled her eyes. “This is Cadence, though. She's the one who hates your Mom.”

Antares only nodded sagely at this, and Cadence frowned before she nodded a little as she studied the stallion curiously: yes, he had his mother's eyes, and his father's coat: the inverse of Thorn, she thought wryly. “Antares, right? Thorn showed me some pictures of you from his visit. It's nice to meet you.”

“What a creeper. But of course he wants to prove that he knows me. I'm awesome.” Antares said mildly as he posed with a wide grin, but Cadence noted his eyes were focused and moving quickly over herself and Thesis, seeming to take in every last detail. “So hey, Mutt and Thorn have both told me about you. Mutt was a lot less nice but that just means she must like you.”

Cadence grunted in response, before Antares grinned and hopped from hoof-to-hoof, winking at her. “I'd love to see how I do in a fight against Decretum's best, though, you know! I've heard all sorts of stuff about you Orphans, you're supposed to be pretty okay. I mean, I hope that's not an exaggeration, you guys totally did need to beg for our help and all...”

Cadence narrowed her eyes dangerously as Thesis took an awkward step away, and Prestige sighed before apologizing: “Sorry about that. He was dropped on his head as a child. Often.”

“I was!” Antares agreed with a nod, before he winked at Cadence as he leaned forwards on the tips of his hooves with a wide grin, teasing: “Think you can beat up a boy Valkyrie with brain damage? 'Cause Mutt said if I ever met you I'd have to be gentle!”

Antares waggled his eyebrows, and Cadence couldn't put her hoof on exactly why it infuriated her so much, but it did. And before she could stop herself, she stepped forwards and slugged the stallion across the face, Antares flying backwards with a squeak to crash and roll violently to a prone position on his side, mouth working spasmodically as Prestige stared dumbly over her shoulder at him.

Cadence blinked a few times, and Thesis cleared his throat violently as he hid a grin beneath a hoof before the ivory mare winced and leaned back, saying lamely: “Uh. Sorry. It's... been a stressful day.”

“I. Yeah.” Antares said stupidly, as he slowly clambered up to his hooves and rubbed at his throbbing muzzle, before he stared dumbly down at the crimson on his hoof. “You... you made me bleed my own blood!”

“I think he's fine. Although I guess I'm surprised. Usually he's much faster on the uptake than that.” Prestige said mildly, looking curiously back at Antares before she turned her eyes back to Cadence, who smiled lamely, still feeling embarrassed at her outburst. “You must be harder for him to read for some reason.”

“She moves weird. I wasn't ready!” Antares complained, rubbing absently at his face before he glowered at Thesis, who was grinning widely. “You shut up. You're an asshole. No one likes you, especially not me, so stop thinking you're so goddamn handsome because you're not that sexy.”

Prestige slowly turned towards Antares, and Thesis winked as he posed for a moment before tilting his head towards the other stallion, Antares' eyes slowly widening before Thesis said charmingly: “Hey there. You come here often?”

“I'm straight!” Antares howled, leaping on top of Prestige and clinging to her, and the Valkyrie sighed and lowered her head tiredly as the stallion clung to her fearfully. “I like mares and I never, ever am on the bottom all the time and I definitely never think about other stallions or your big muscly body!”

“The only thing big about Thesis is his fat head.” Cadence grumbled, and Thesis gave her an almost injured look that Cadence refused to be taken in by, only glowering at him grumpily. “Look. Let's just survey the damage, get something to eat, and then go and get some rest for a little while. We have a lot to prepare still and I want to make sure I meet up with my team.”

“I want to see Thorn, too. I'm worried about him.” Thesis added quickly, suddenly much more serious, and Cadence looked at him for a moment before she gave a brief nod.

“Is he okay?” Antares asked quietly, and Cadence smiled a little, Antares cocking an eyebrow before he said softly: “So you don't know for sure, huh? I thought it must have been bad. Mutt said last time they were there, he was sleeping, but that was a while ago. Maybe I'll stop by myself.”

He halted, then looked over at Thesis and added quietly: “Hey. In all seriousness, it is good to see you... here, on our side. I know you must want to do everything you can for everyone, but... try and remember that you can do more the longer you stay alive, and less if you end up exhausting and killing yourself, huh?”

“Wise advice.” Thesis said with only a hint of irony, and then he smiled and rose a hoof, and Antares smiled back before they bumped their hooves together, the Replicant saying softly: “I appreciate that, though. And I appreciate you looking out for Thorn. I know it must not have been easy.”

“For a lot of reasons. But hey, family's family.” Antares shrugged amiably, and then he winked over at Prestige. “Okay, let's let these lovebirds go do their thing. We should go do our thing, too. You know. That thing.”

Antares leaned his face slowly down towards Prestige, then squawked when she easily flipped him off her back so he thudded to the street, the mare sighing before she smiled over at Cadence and said: “I hope we can find a few minutes to catch up or something. I'd like to talk to you more about things and uh... what's been going on. Maybe it's not my place as a Valkyrie, but... I feel like I can learn a lot from you, Cadence.”

Cadence smiled at this, and inside her, the Swan rose its head curiously, seeming pleased. “Are you here for much longer, or are you going to be recalled to Heaven, do you know?”

“No, we're here to lend support as long as Decretum needs it. When I go back is determined by when Empress Hecate sends us back.” Prestige required with a nod, and Cadence nodded thoughtfully back as Antares clambered up to his hooves.

“Same here, pretty much. I gotta say hi to Hecate before I go, though... hey, I know, let's go see how she's doing. It's been forever since the last time I saw her.” Antares said positively, and Thesis snorted in amusement.

“Just like I said, see? Mom always did like the weird kids.” Thesis said blandly, and Antares huffed at him.

“I'm not weird. I'm special.” he said proudly, raising his head high, and then he yelped when Prestige grasped him by the ear and calmly dragged him away, the stallion wincing and flailing a bit before he awkwardly did his best to look back over his shoulder, yelling: “Okay I'll see you Uncle Thesis be good bye!”

Cadence rolled her eyes as she turned around, watching the stallion leave before he turned around, and blinked in surprise at the sight of Thesis smiling faintly, a hoof on his chest, his eyes shining as he watched Prestige dragging Antares away. She cleared her throat after a moment, and Thesis blinked a few times before blushing and rubbing hurriedly at his face as Cadence opened her mouth...

But after a moment, she softened, then simply shook her head before saying finally: “Let's go get something to eat.”

“Yeah.” Thesis smiled over at her as he straightened and cleared his throat, puffing out his chest a bit. And as Cadence began to walk away, turning her eyes back forwards, the stallion murmured: “Thank you.”

Thorn Blackfeather stared silently at the ceiling, black veins of poison pulsating through his body. Hecate sat beside him, her expression soft and tender: more tender than Luna Brynhild had ever seen her.

“Let it out.” she said softly, but Thorn only continued to gaze hollowly up at the ceiling.

Brynhild shifted slowly, looking over at Morgan, then to Scrivener Blooms. She could smell the poison in the air. And her mended, black gemstone horn resonated with those emotions she felt in Thorn's body. She could feel them, echoing down into her body. Her heart went out to him, and it was hard to keep the tears from filling her eyes, as Morgan resisted the urge to touch him, as Scrivener Blooms only looked at his son silently, his Talons digging against the ground.

“Let it out.” Hecate said gently.

Thorn gave the briefest of nods, and Hecate smiled at him reassuringly before she said softly: “We're all here for you, Thorn. And you can't hold this forever. You can't-”

“I can.” Thorn said, his voice hard, but quavering ever so slightly as he continued to stare at the ceiling. “Don't pressure me. Please. I am not ready. I am... fine.”

“Let it out.” Hecate repeated, tender, fearless. A mother that they could all admire. A parent, a guardian, like Brynhild and Scrivener and even Morgan wished they could be.

Thorn tried to shake his head and resist, clutching his blackened shoulder stump, as it bled viscous, dark ooze that shivered, and quaked like it was alive...

“Let it out.”

“Why? What's the point?” Thorn shouted furiously as he suddenly sat up, and strands of hideously-alive black poison erupted from his broken stump as he bared his fangs, as his eyes glowed with mad fury. Luna's eyes widened in shock, but Hecate thrust a hoof out in front of her before any of the others could speak, even as Thorn leaned into the mare's face and shouted furiously, flecks of spittle flying over the Jötnar's features: “Stop mocking me, you stupid, selfish bitch! Is this what you wanted? Are you proud, mommy dearest, that you were able to make me perfect and then send me to be broken? Or am I just another lab experiment to you, another rat in your trap, and you're excited to see what I can do with this?”

A black, savage claw of half-melted slime and malice rose up in front of Thorn, ungainly and long and hideous, flowing like wax. The sapphire stallion gasped for breath as the poison flowed through his veins, black tears rolling down from his eyes before they widened suddenly, and he bit his lip before he lowered his head as the black claw melted away and splattered over the ground, whispering: “I'm... I'm sorry.”

Hecate responded by leaning forwards and pulling him into a fierce embrace, pulling his head into her neck, and Thorn trembled before a semisolid, black foreleg half-formed from his stump. It left black streaks against the pure white of Hecate's coat as he clumsily tried to grab onto her, whimpering in his throat before he suddenly burst into sobs, but Hecate only pulled his head down against her neck as she shushed him gently and whispered: “I love you. It's okay. Let it out, Thorn... let it out. I'm here. We're all here for you... we're all here for you.”

After only a few minutes, Thorn's sobs tapered down, and he shoved himself backwards, breathing hard, a little pale and streaked with black poison. His black leg melted and quavered, sometimes splattering away to nothing but goop, sometimes reforming, sometimes vanishing almost entirely as Thorn visibly fought to gather himself, his other hoof clutching at his mucky shoulder.

But finally, he opened his eyes as he stared miserably at the floor, breathing slowly in and out before he said quietly: “I apologize for my behavior. I am unfit for duty.”

Luna trembled, then she stepped forwards and slapped Thorn across the face, the sapphire stallion's eyes widening before he snarled in sudden fury. And a moment later, Luna was knocked across the room by a hard slash of a black, sludgy claw as Thorn shouted furiously: “Keep your hooves... off...”

Thorn's eyes widened as his black, slimy limb fell away, and Luna blinked slowly before she sat stupidly up, rubbing a hoof through the splatter of goop on her breast. The young stallion attempted to take a step forwards, but Hecate gently caught him, saying softly: “Rest.”

“R-Rest?” Thorn twitched as he gave a short, barking laugh, but Hecate kept her eyes locked with his, and after a few moments, the stallion let out a slow breath and slumped a bit, whispering as his sludgy arm once more fell away, becoming another steam mess of slime: “Yes. I... I am sorry, Móðer.”

“Do not apologize, Thorn. I would prefer to see thee alive than blaming thyself wantonly and piteously.” Luna mumbled, as she carefully picked herself up, shivering a little as she brushed the black poison away from her breast. It felt warm and sticky and...

Luna shook her head quickly out, resisting the urge to lick her hoof as she forced her head up and made herself smile, striding back to the bedside as Thorn looked down and whispered: “I can't stay lucid. My emotions are out of control. I am... broken.”

“We're all a little broken here, Thorn. But this will pass.” Morgan promised quietly, and Thorn laughed shortly, but managed to restrain himself with a slow breath, lowering his head and nodding silently once.

Scrivener smiled faintly, then he rose one of his Talons, and Thorn watched silently as the black poison splattered over the table and the floor and everywhere around him steamed before it evaporated into dark steam. Thorn watched as this faded from sight, before he whispered: “I wish I could just be erased, too.”

“You have too much to do still, Thorn.” Hecate said gently, and Thorn looked up at her silently before the Jötnar mare said calmly: “Thorn requires a training that I cannot give him. He must be sent somewhere else, to someone who can help him.”

“What? But... you've helped him plenty!” Morgan said sharply, and Thorn trembled before he began to whimper faintly, visibly fighting not to cry. It tore at Morgan's soul, and she felt the pain it caused both Luna and Scrivener as the purple mare pleaded: “Hecate, why do you-”

“He has to go to someone who did not fail the same tests he must now face.” Hecate said with a faint smile, and Thorn looked up at her as tears streamed freely down his face, before she gently took his head in her hooves and said softly: “You will get through this, Thorn Blackfeather. You are strong. You are my child, and I love you.”

Thorn breathed quietly in and out, and Luna smiled faintly before she looked over at Morgan Heldóttir as she took a slow breath. Scrivener frowned as he looked over at them, biting his lip indecisively, but after a moment, Morgan closed her eyes and nodded slowly, murmuring: “We'll take him to Looking Glass World. He'll be safe in Subterra, and he can be under the tutelage of some of our best friends.”

“Alright.” Hecate nodded, then she turned her eyes back towards Thorn, saying softly: “I will have Cadence and Thesis escort you-”

“I don't need anyone's help!” Thorn shouted furiously, raising his head as his eyes flashed, and then he trembled and bit his lip so hard that black blood spilled from the wound, running down his chin as he rasped breaths in and out before he clenched his eyes shut and lowered his head, whispering: “I... I have wasted enough time with my failure-”

“You are not a failure. But you are correct Thorn, I do not have time to waste, so it would behoove you to stop arguing and accept your responsibilities.” Hecate said in a colder voice, and Thorn glared at her defiantly, furiously, but then he suddenly smiled faintly as the corruption dripping from his stump of foreleg finally started to settle, and Hecate reached up to touch this, saying quietly: “Better. But I want to hear you accept this order, Thorn Blackfeather. You are my son but also my subordinate.”

“Yes, Empress Hecate.” Thorn gathered himself, and he seemed to take strength from the familiarity of protocol, as he answered quietly: “I will see to it that any authorizations Seneschal may have overlooked are transferred to Thesis. I will schedule two months-”

“Ninety days of psychiatric leave. I will schedule it myself, Thorn, you can't interface with the system at the moment.” Hecate replied, and Thorn shivered a little, but he took another breath, then nodded once, even though his emotions were still visibly whirling through him. “Good. I'll have a Beauty unit attend to your injuries, and I expect you to get control of yourself by the time I return. Do not disappoint me.”

In spite of her words, Hecate leaned forwards and kissed Thorn's forehead gently, and the stallion gave a faint smile before he nodded a little, even as black tears streaked down his cheeks. But without a glance back, Hecate turned and left the room, and Thorn took a slow breath before he looked over at his parents and murmured: “I apologize. I'm... I'm better.”

“Don't apologize. It's okay.” Scrivener said softly, and Thorn gave a faint smile to his father before he nodded a little, lowering his head.

“It's so hard.” Thorn said after a moment, as he rose his foreleg, studying the black smears across his hoof before he smiled faintly, trembling a little as he looked up and asked weakly: “Why?”

Luna softened as Morgan reached up and gently touched her son's shoulder, but Thorn shook his head with a small laugh, whispering: “I know. I know. You don't have to say anything, I just... all this emotion, and none of it... I just can't control it. I feel so...” He looked down silently, breathing slowly in and out before he closed his eyes tightly. “Will I...”

“You'll be okay. You will. You're strong.” Scrivener reassured gently, as he reached up and grasped his son's shoulder. Thorn stiffened at first, gritting his teeth, but after a moment he slowly relaxed as he reached up and grasped the back of his father's Talon, studying it silently.

He looked at it for a few long moments, and then he closed his eyes and he lowered his head, murmuring: “I feel like... burnt metal. I have been tempered. I was made strong. And now I have been charred and burnt. I want to scream and shout and stomp my hooves. I want to bite and kick. I want to cry. I want to roar. And yet I know all of it is useless, and pointless. To whine, is useless, and pointless, and a waste of time and energy. Yet I complain all the same. I feel impotent. I feel... broken.”

“What is broken can be mended and made strong again.” Luna reassured gently, and Thorn looked up at her silently as his mother reached up and took his hoof gently in both of hers. “Speak, Thorn. Speak as thou must. Hold nothing back. For we all know much of pain.”

“How can you know what I feel? How can anyone know what I feel?” Thorn whispered bitterly, and then he shivered a bit before clenching his eyes shut and muttering: “No. Childishness. Isolation is a broken self-defense mechanism. A failing of psychology.”

Luna chuckled quietly at this, studying her son silently before she reached up and stroked gently along his face, the Valkyrie smiling softly as she murmured: “Look at thee, Thorn. How I wish thou could have been spared all this pain, all this suffering. And all this... wretched brainery that Hecate hast filled thee with. Thou does what thou does because 'tis just what ponies do. Is that not enough?”

Thorn only smiled faintly as a black tear leaked from his eye, before he glanced up and snarled as the door to the room opened, half-turning away as he snapped: “I am not some zoo animal to be studied and gawked at!”

“Having a bad day, huh?” Antares asked mildly, and Thorn blinked before he looked up in dull surprise as Luna sighed and smiled wryly, and Scrivener and Morgan both looked almost imploringly at their oldest son. But Antares only winked as he strode towards the bed, before he leaned in and studied Thorn for a few moments, then suddenly leaned forwards and smacked the sapphire stallion hard, making his jaw drop as their parents stared.

Thorn's mouth worked for a moment, and then he turned a furious snarl towards Antares. But then his eyes crossed dumbly as a hoof shoved into his nose, the sapphire stallion mouthing wordlessly before Antares said gently: “Smile. It won't kill you.”

Thorn's horn sparked as black veins pulsed through his body, his eyes blazing, his pupils dilating, but Antares only faced him with a warm smile. And just as suddenly as the rage had come, Thorn relaxed completely, dropping his head and laughing weakly before he closed his eyes tightly and whispered: “Goddammit.”

“I know. It's hard. It must feel just about impossible. And you're in that stage where you're begging for help but you don't want to hear any advice, because nothing is comforting. You either want it to be over, or you want to scream your head off. And that's okay, Thorn. It really is.” Antares said gently, smiling a little at his younger brother. “Anyway, don't feel bad, huh? You're still a kid and all. Act a little like one. Whine or complain or something. You'll feel better.”

“Work makes me feel better.” Thorn murmured, shaking his head briefly before he smiled faintly and closed his eyes. “What do I do?”

“You rest.” Antares said firmly, and then he winked over at Luna, adding: “Don't you guys worry, either. I'll stay here with him and help take care of him for a little while. Between me and Thesis, we'll get him fixed up.”

“Actually, Hecate asked us to send Thorn for... training.” Morgan answered, as Thorn sat back, but he barely glanced up, and the purple mare smiled faintly. It was so hard to know what might set him off right now, and she hated that she was helpless to do anything but try and be patient and understanding. “We were thinking Subterra. What do you think?”

“I think you all need to stop being so nice. Thorn needs the same treatment he's always gotten. Sure, he's a little screwed-up right now, but when everyone babied me instead of kicking me in the ass, it had a lot... it made things a lot worse in the long run.” Antares quieted a bit, then he shook his head before returning his eyes to Thorn with a smile. “I'll help too.”

“I don't need your pity.” Thorn hissed as he leaned forwards, his eyes blazing, before he shivered and shook himself quickly, letting out a short breath before he rested a hoof against his head and mumbled: “I mean... I... I appreciate what you are trying to do, Antares. I just... don't think...”

“Well, then don't think!” Antares said cheerfully, and then he reached up and grasped both Luna and Morgan by the shoulders, adding gently: “Let's give him a bit of time alone, huh? And Thorn, just... yell. If it gets really bad, just yell. Okay?”

Thorn looked at the stallion for a moment, and then he lowered his head and murmured: “Alright, Antares. I... will see you.”

“Yeah. You will. You'll be fine.” Antares encouraged gently, and then he shook his head before he stepped back and said softly: “Just rest.”

Thorn looked up, and he looked like he wanted to scream, like he wanted to cry, like he was about plead with them to stay and spit at them to go at the same time, but then he simply lowered his head, closing his eyes tightly as he grasped at his shoulder, as those black veins pulsed over his frame and that ugly, not-blood dripped from his wound.

It took all of Luna's willpower to turn away, and walk with the rest of her family out of the room. The moment the door closed behind her, she slammed a hoof furiously down into the ground in front of her, snarling and trying to fight back the tears before she hissed through her teeth: “He was supposed to be safe here. Safe, from all of this... safe, from us and our wretched sins!”

Antares only looked at his mother for a moment as she breathed roughly in and out, and then he stepped forwards and tightly embraced her. Luna clenched her eyes shut for a moment, then swore quietly under her breath as Morgan and Scrivener smiled faintly.

After a moment, Antares stepped back, and Luna Brynhild rose a hoof and shoved it against his face before she sighed tiredly and pushed him backwards, mumbling: “I do not know if we did too good or too poor a job with thee. Twilight, I blame thee.”

Morgan smiled a little, and Antares shrugged amiably before he smiled over at the mare, saying softly: “I guess that's something I would have learned from Mom. Don't worry, Mutt. You still taught me how to punch stuff in the face. And Dad taught me how to get punched in the face.”

“Nay, that was I as well, Antares, for without me Scrivy would not have been punched in the face nearly so oft.” Luna interrupted with a hint of a smile, and then she visibly shook herself out before raising her head a little higher and saying firmly: “Aye. We must do all we can for our child now, and not weep upon what has been and what must be. 'Twould be idiotic and worse to waste such an opportunity as this.”

“I agree. But I know you guys must be busy. You got lots to do, right? We all have lots to do.” Antares said mildly, and Luna frowned slightly as Morgan immediately began to turn, but Antares said, gently and firmly: “I got this.”

“Pah. Selfish. That is what thou art, and what thou shall always be.” Luna hesitated, but then she nodded firmly after a moment as Scrivener frowned uncertainly, before he winced when Luna bopped him with her black stone horn. “Shush, beetle. Trust in our child. Besides, I... Antares is right and...”

Luna shifted uncomfortably, and Scrivener softened before Morgan nodded and sighed a little, saying softly: “Just be careful.”

“I got this.” Antares winked, then he smiled as he shooed his parents away with one hoof. Brynhild snorted at him, but then she nodded before turning to leave with her partners, giving one last quick look over her shoulder before they vanished around the corner.

For almost a minute, Antares simply sat in the corridor, his crystalline wings gleaming faintly as they shivered around his body, his breathing slowly and relaxed even as his body slowly flexed, then relaxed, flexed... then relaxed.

Then he felt it, more than heard it, and Antares smiled slightly before he rose his head and sang softly: “Never thought I'd see you again, my friend, but here you are at last... how many years has it been, how many days have passed...”

“Oh, your sweet smilin' face is something I could do without... tell me boy, you think you grown up, you think you earned some clout?” sang a rusty voice in return, and Antares smiled even as his eyes hardened at the sight of the goblinoid beast that strutted down the hall, the destruction entity grinning a hellish grin from ear-to-ear before he exclaimed: “Well, if it ain't the little punk! Hey, boy, how you been doin'? Sounds like you must have missed me with those sweet little bars you sang!”

Cancer laughed loudly as he continued forwards, but Antares only smiled and shrugged amiably, replying easily: “A lot's happened since we last met. Let's go get a coffee and I'll tell you all about it, what do you say?”

“Oh ho ho, no no no, I ain't that stupid, boy. It's just me and you, right here and now, and that suits me just fine...” Cancer paused, then he licked his lips slowly as his eyes flicked knowingly to the door that Antares was seated in front of. “Well, and the little blue sausage that got away because of the crazy bitch with all the teeth... but that puppet's out for repairs, and you? Well, I ain't afraid of you, boy. I know just what your number is.”

“You sure about that, Cancer? Because it looks like you're missing a few pieces.” Antares winked as he reached up and tapped his nose a few times, before encouraging: “Come on, let's go get that coffee. We got lots to talk about. We'll have a few laughs, we'll cry, and then you can go on your merry way.”

Antares smiled, and Cancer snorted in amusement, rolling his eyes before he spread his arms and said mildly: “Kiddo, I don't need no bonus points from all the poisons 'round here to kill you dead. What makes you think-”

“Because your other option is to die and be sent back to the Void, Cancer.” Antares replied pleasantly, before he leaned forwards, his voice calm and cold as he said softly: “If you take another step, I will do whatever I have to in order to stop you.”

“Oh, boy.” Cancer clucked his tongue, shaking his head as he slowly leaned forwards, replying kindly: “You ain't nothin' but the same dumb punk, makin' the same promises you can't keep, huh? Well, don't you worry, I got just the cure for that what ails ya, boy!”

Cancer stepped firmly forwards, grinning widely before he suddenly lunged, his red eyes glowing as his claws stretched out towards Antares, hissing: “One quick-”

Antares stepped forwards and slashed his horn down in a ruthless, elegant attack as it flashed white, and Cancer was knocked backwards, crashing and skidding down the corridor with a gasp as the stallion finished gently: “Cut.”

Cancer rolled to a halt, grasping at his body as he shivered in pain, before he looked up with a snarl of fury and humiliation as Antares straightened, then swept a leg out and bowed mockingly. “I'd call first blood, but we haven't even properly started the duel yet. Watch where you're going, Cancer: hate to see you end up face-first on my horn. Then I'd be stuck looking at your ugly mug.”

Cancer hissed furiously through his teeth as he rolled up to his claws, and then the monster leapt forwards again, roaring: “This ain't no game, boy!”

But with barely a twitch, Antares slipped to the side, dodging a swipe before he seized Cancer by the face and slammed him into the ground with a thunderous bang that rattled the entire corridor. Cancer exploded into goop immediately, claws and tentacles lashing up from the mess of toxic white sludge, but Antares smoothly leapt backwards before his crystalline wings flapped once with a flare of white energy, turning the sludge to solid stone before Antares snapped his horn forwards.

The stone mass was shattered into debris that was blown down the hall by the force of the telekinetic blast, before it turned back into a mess of white slime that was left splattered throughout the corridor. Antares only smiled contemptibly, watching as the goop slowly puddled back together and reformed into a panting Cancer, the goblinoid creature groaning as it grasped at its head before it looked up with a snarl that was more afraid and desperate than furious. “H-How? How? You... you stupid, miserable, cheating little punk, how the hell... what the hell do you think you're doing? Goddammit, have the good sense to lie down and die!”

“Uh, I think it's lay down and die, for one thing.” Antares corrected pettishly, before he added mildly: “And hey, I've seen a lot worse than you over the years. You? You're a bad memory, that's all. And I'm about as afraid of you as I am of broccoli in my teeth.”

“I ain't no broccoli! I'm death! I'm destruction! I am the Void, sister-mister, distilled and pissed out of a keg of pure pain and apocalyptic terror!” Cancer shouted, posing sharply on his rear legs with his forelimbs out to either side, his red eyes blazing with fury before he suddenly went limp, his head twitching to the side before he gurgled: “Return. Return to the Void. All must return to the Void. Return to the Void.”

“Don't worry, Cancer. I'll send you home.” Antares said softly, his horn gleaming with white energy before he broke into a sudden sprint. Cancer snarled in fury as he snapped suddenly back to life, lashing out with forelegs that exploded into thorny white tentacles, but Antares smoothly launched himself into the air before he created a platform of white energy under his hooves, kicking off it to the ceiling as his body rotated sharply.

The stallion sprinted upside down along the roof as Cancer reared back in shock, beginning to raise his other foreleg in some desperate gamble, but he was too slow and Antares was too fast: there was a gleam of white, and then Cancer toppled backwards with a gurgle of shock, clutching at himself weakly before his head spilled backwards as his body fell forwards with a splatter to the floor.

He dissolved into white goop that shivered weakly for a few moments, then slowly pulled itself back together, gradually reforming into a half-melted, mutilated version of Cancer. He gurgled and rasped, then shook himself violently back and forth before picking himself up with a frustrated snarl, hissing: “You stupid... pathetic kid... if I... if I had... was...”

“Maybe, but it doesn't matter, Cancer, because you're not. You're not even much of a bully.” Antares shook his head, before he said softly, as the half-melted, humiliated, furious, and so very terrified destruction entity glared at him: “What you really are is a disappointment.”

Cancer roared in fury, staggering forwards as his crimson eyes blazed, his body nothing but malice made physical as he howled: “You stupid punk kid!”

Antares waited for the last moment, before he lunged suddenly and slammed his elbow down into Cancer's face, knocking the slimy creature to the ground with a splatter before the stallion swept his horn down, a blast of white flame erupting from his horn and washing over the creature. Cancer screamed and squealed as he rolled backwards, his white-goo body steaming and boiling away as he clutched helplessly at his semisolid body, what the purifying fire didn't turn to dust evaporating into nothing.

Yet all the same, Cancer looked up through the flames with hate and lunatic fury only exacerbated by his terror, as he spat: “I'll be back! I'll be b-back for you, just wait, you and your pretty little dog too!”

“I'll be waiting, Cancer. But don't worry. I'm not mad at you.” Antares replied with a smile, his eyes glaring challengingly at the destruction entity. “You're just the proof I need to know that I made the right choice.”

Cancer hissed in fury, before he rasped weakly as he collapsed forwards, but he burst apart into ashes even before he hit the ground, returning to the Void. Antares grunted as he straightened, then he smiled slightly and turned as the door to Thorn's room opened, turning and beginning blandly: “Hey, I was beginning to think-”

A claw of black slime shot through the door, slamming into Antares and seizing around his whole body as it shoved him across the hallway before crushing him into the opposing wall, his eyes bulging in shock as he gasped and struggled uselessly against the grip of the slime and malice tightening around him.

Antares stared in disbelief down the long, black ooze limb that was writhing back and forth, dripping sludge and corruption as it twisted through the air. And at the end of that twisting, serpentine arm, a sapphire stallion came staggering out of the doorway, his eyes leaking black slime and his teeth grit in a snarl as he hissed: “Quiet down. This is a residential zone.”

“Hey, nice to see you too.” Antares wheezed, as he shifted weakly against the claws crushing around him, a wry grin cresting his features before he rasped: “You know, uh-”

“I said shut up.” Thorn growled, and the claws slammed Antares into the ground before Thorn shivered and clenched his eyes shut as the terrible, twisting-ooze limb shivered, then finally steamed before breaking apart into a mess of goo that splattered to the ground, leaving the stallion breathing hard as he grasped at his stump and whispered: “I... I apologize. I... hate noise.”

“Yeah. Got it.” Antares mumbled, before he shook himself out and crawled up to his hooves, uneasily brushing at the toxic sludge sticking to his body here and there. It seemed like Thorn had exhausted himself, however, the sapphire stallion dropping on his rump and lowering his head.

He breathed shakily in and out, then clenched his eyes shut, trying to hold in his sobs. But he couldn't bury them entirely as Antares uncomfortably picked himself up, before he laughed awkwardly as he brushed at himself and said: “Hey, no harm done. Besides, I should be the one whimpering, not you. Hell of a grip, champ.”

“I apologize. I am... weak. I let my emotions... get carried away.” Thorn whispered, shaking his head and closing his eyes tightly as he struggled to breathe normally. But he had gone from furious to a mix of utterly exhausted and miserable: he felt like letting himself fall to the ground and cry and whimper until someone put him out of his misery-

A hoof grasped his shoulder gently, and the sapphire stallion looked up to see Antares smiling at him reassuringly, the stallion saying easily: “Heard that you're going to be coming home, though. And I'm really looking forwards to getting to spend some time with you and get to know you better. You're still a kid, you know, Thorn, so don't push yourself so damn hard. When I was a kid, I was almost as bad as you.”

Antares paused, then reached out and awkwardly wiped a bit of the black ooze off of Thorn's stump. “Well. Almost.”

Thorn looked for a few moments at the stallion, and then he nodded briefly once before he lowered his head and murmured: “Life is a series of negotiations and adjustments. That is all.”

“Horses of Heaven, you're such a pessimist.” Antares gently punched Thorn in the shoulder, before he asked: “Should I... call someone to fix that for you, or...”

“A Beauty unit already applied a bandage. But I keep... bleeding through. I keep bleeding. I can't stop bleeding.” Thorn whispered, as he lowered his head and shivered a little. Then he took a slow breath before he dragged himself around in a circle, looking away and gritting his teeth as he muttered: “Just... leave me alone. I'm going to... I'm... I'm going to...”

“You'll be okay.” Antares said gently, and when Thorn glared furiously over his shoulder at him, the stallion grinned widely and winked. “Or you'll be dead. Which is sort of okay, right?”

Thorn looked at Antares for a few moments as his expression gradually calmed, and then he gave a short laugh before he lowered his head and murmured: “It is strange, how comforting I find that.”

“Not really.” Antares only shrugged, before he softened and added gently: “Go get some rest. I hear your Mom coming and I know you don't want to be caught like this, right? So lie down and... sleep for a little while. You'll feel better when you get up, I promise.”

“Promises...” Thorn quieted, but then he only nodded briefly as he perhaps heard the approaching hooves himself, striding into the room and closing the door behind him.

Antares only sat calmly until the hooves reached him, and then he looked up with a smile at Hecate, who looked back down at him, almost inscrutable. But then she silently reached up and gently rustled his mane, and Antares huffed a little before he said dryly: “I'm not a foal, you know.”

“You'll always be a foal to me.” Hecate responded, and Antares huffed at her before the mare said almost abruptly: “It's good to see you. And you have my gratitude for... assisting us with this burden.”

“Hey, no sweat. Besides, I feel like we owed it to you, and really, it's not like any of us are the kind to turn down a fight anyway.” Antares shrugged and smiled up at the Jötnar mare, studying her intently for a few moments before he asked quietly: “How are you doing? I know this can't be...”

He shrugged lamely after a moment when Hecate gave him a moody look, but after a few moments, she relaxed a little and sighed, nodding almost grudgingly as she admitted: “It is not. But both Thorn and I have faced worse things in the past. The hardest part is knowing that I cannot help him. Knowing that if I...”

She flexed a hoof slowly, looking down at it, and Antares gave her a soft look before he said quietly: “I don't know if it means anything to you or not, Hecate, but... there's no one else in the world I would trust with this power more than you. Mom already has enough to deal with, after all, and Mutt, well, you know I can't even trust her with a pointy stick. But you've always... I think you've always at least tried to do the right thing, and I know how hard that is.”

“Tried to, Antares. And the path to Hell is paved with good intentions. That's something we both know, isn't it?” Hecate smiled thinly as she looked away, but Antares only smiled back at her as he reached up and patted her on the side of her metal-collared neck, making her scowl a little.

“That's why I said 'right,' not 'good.'” he replied mildly, then he paused before adding: “It was a destruction entity, by the way. Cancer. He-”

“He came back to finish Thorn off. E-V-100, or as you refer to him, 'Cancer,' served as both a science project and a battery for a Dogmatist invasion unit, Carcinoma.” Hecate replied, and Antares looked up with marked interest; unsurprising, Hecate thought, considering what little she knew about Antares' previous encounters with the monstrosity. “E-V-100 was a Class C biological weapon that all the same had to be treated with caution, due to his nature as a Type 4 semicorporeal-”

“How the hell do you keep all these in order? I mean, I know you have like, computers in your brain, but-” Antares squeaked when Hecate easily hefted him up into the air with only a look, his eyes bulging before he grinned lamely and gestured awkwardly at her horn. “No glow, huh?”

Hecate only smiled thinly, unsurprised that he'd noticed. “I do not need my horn to focus magic any longer, only to serve as an amplifier and director. And to answer your other question, I had hundreds, if not thousands, of years of practice and memorization. Even you would be able to get a few classifications and meanings through your thick skull.”

The mare let the stallion drop back on his rump, and Antares huffed loudly before he crossed his forelegs and declared: “Yeah, well, that just shows that you don't know me at all, because nothing goes through my thick skull that I don't want it to!”

Hecate rolled her eyes with a sigh, but then Antares became more serious as he said quietly: “You know he'll be back. I tried to at least draw his attention on to me, but... I don't know how quickly these Voidborn can regenerate, and if we're both-”

“He'll be weak. I'm sure even you were smart enough to see that his consistency was different from the other Voidborn, likely due to the nature of his powers and the fact that Void exposure is part of what formed him in the first place. I wouldn't consider him much of a threat...” Hecate smiled thinly. “And I'm rather disappointed that you do, Antares. Don't let your past control your future.”

“I guess I can't exactly ignore that advice when it comes from you, huh?” Antares asked ironically, but Hecate only continued to look at him mildly, until the stallion finally nodded hesitantly and mumbled: “It's hard not to.”

“It is. I know. But our choice is to give up, or to keep moving forwards. I would think you would find the latter preferable, Antares, considering how much you have behind you.” replied Hecate evenly, and Antares smiled a little after a moment before the mare said quietly: “I expect you to keep a close eye on him. Thesis and Cadence will also serve as escorts: I trust you have no qualms with my son?”

“Thorn or Thesis? Because one of them really needs to chill out and the other one needs to stop flirting with me.” Antares said blandly, and Hecate gave the slightest of smiles before the stallion lowered his head and said softly: “No problem at all, Hecate. And I'll make sure everyone else knows not to hold past grudges against him, either. If, uh... if I can ask...”

“A year. Perhaps only months. The prognosis is grim, and as Thesis has Jötnar blood, my powers cannot affect him. He will die.” Hecate said, but she was strangely calm, strangely proud, Antares thought, as he looked up at the mare with a frown.

But Hecate only smiled, shaking her head as she said softly: “After the life he endured and the deaths he suffered before, Antares... I can't be anything but grateful for the opportunity I have to be with my son, one last time.”

Antares smiled a little after a moment, thinking of his parents before he nodded and looked up, replying finally: “Yeah. I guess I get what you mean, Hecate. I uh... you are still going to go by Hecate, yeah?”

“Yes, Antares. I am Hecate, Empress of Decretum. That is my present, and that will be my future.” replied the Jötnar mare calmly, and Antares grinned wryly up at her before she said: “Thesis and Cadence will be bringing Thorn to Looking Glass World after they attend to another brief mission. I will also be sending envoys to Heaven and I require a way to contact Kvasir.”

“Yeah, I'm totally responsible enough to do all those things.” Antares said blandly, before he winced a bit when the mare leaned forwards over him, shrinking immediately under her gaze.

“What you can do is call together your friends and allies. I know that you were previously employed as a messenger boy for Heaven, after all, I'm certain you can manage this task for me.” Hecate replied, and Antares glowered at her, although the effect was somewhat diminished by the fact he had his head shrunken back between his shoulders. “I've already marked you for guest authorization. The Dogmatists and Hexad units will respond to you and honor limited privilege.”

“I don't even know what the hell that means, except that you think you can use it to order me around to do stuff.” Antares said blandly, before he winced a bit when the mare smiled at him thinly. “I mean, I'm not saying you can't, but uh... that's... rude. You're rude.”

Hecate only continued to look at him for a moment, until Antares lamely nodded to her, and she instructed: “It should be easy for you to gather your friends and have them assemble at my Orphanage. I've already had drones set up a meeting hall. I will be holding a session in several hours with the Council and all available backers to debrief them on the emergency situation that has occurred here. As a token of both my thanks and transparency, I am inviting you and yours to attend this meeting as well.”

“Great reward. Cool beans, really.” Antares said awkwardly, as he leaned back with a grimace before he sighed and lowered his head, muttering: “Yeah, I guess I can do that for you, Hecate, but... well, are you sure that...”

He looked slowly up to see the moody look the mare was favoring him with, and then he cleared his throat before asking lamely: “Still have that thing about not questioning your judgment, huh? You know, you got vents in your sides, you don't need a chip on your shoulder on top of that. I mean. You probably do have microchips all over you but-”

“Just get the job done. I expect the same from you that I expect from any of my Orphans.” Hecate said calmly, and Antares smiled slightly at this, raising his head a little as he felt a bit of undeniable pride.

The Jötnar mare turned towards the door leading to Thorn's room, but she paused in front of it as she felt the stallion's eyes on her, sensing that he had another question for her. So instead of letting herself through immediately, she waited patiently, tilting her head slightly back over her shoulder to show she was listening, until Antares finally asked: “Have you really had the Hexad all along?”

“No. But excavating the heart and mind of Decretum was among one of the first things I did. Ponies might prefer to let the dead rest, but I would rather put every tool I have to use.” Hecate replied calmly, not looking back at the stallion. “I suggest that if you have any problems with my methods, you wait until the meeting.”

Antares hesitated, but then he nodded, and Hecate calmly strode into her son's room before he could say anything else, leaving the stallion standing in the hall by himself for a few moments. Then he sighed and smiled wryly, shrugging a bit and only hoping that Hecate knew what she was doing, but ultimately, he trusted her.

There was the heart of a Princess in there somewhere, after all.